College and University Blog
Resources, help, and insight for your college experience
Green Campuses - What Schools Are Doing to Create Sustainable Environments
Over 300 institutions of higher education worldwide have signed on to the Talloires Declaration, a commitment made by university presidents toward sustainability. The declaration states
An Unplanned Pregnancy - What Are Your Options?
Unwanted pregnancy is a reality for many students. It can happen to the most responsible sexual partners. A recent study indicated that 16.5% of students surveyed have been pregnant or have impregnated someone. 53.8% of the pregnancies were accidental.
If you suspect you may be pregnant, go immediately to the Doctor to medically confirm your suspicions or the results of a home pregnancy test. If you are not pregnant, ask about your birth control options. If you are pregnant, you have some decisions to make. You can have and raise the baby, you can have the baby and place it for adoption, or you can terminate the pregnancy.
This is a very personal and difficult decision to make. It is better to make a decision early in the pregnancy and get the appropriate medical care. However, you should take as much time as needed to make a decision that is well thought out. You should understand that there will be time limitations on when abortions can be legally performed.
Often…
Spiritual Growth and Maturity
While attendance at religious services has declined, college students nationwide report significant growth in spiritual and ethical matters during their first three years of college. A recent study of spirituality in higher education by researchers at The Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA contains results worth paying attention to.
Entering freshmen show a high degree of involvement in religion. About four in five report that they attended religious services in the past year. They also discussed religion/spirituality with friends and family. Two in three say that they pray and that their religious beliefs
Student Loan Default Rates - Are We Getting an Accurate Picture?
You are responsible for repaying your student loans even if you do not graduate, have trouble finding a job after graduation, or are not happy with your education or school. If you do not make any payments on your student loans for 270 days and do not make arrangements for a deferment or forbearance, your loans will be in default. Defaulting on your student loans has serious consequences.
If you default on your student loan:
- Your loans may be turned over to a collection agency.
- You’ll be liable for collection costs, including court costs and attorney fees.
- You can be sued for the entire amount of your loan.
- Your wages may be garnished. (Federal law limits the amount that may be garnished to 15%)
- Your federal and state income tax refunds may be taken as repayment
- The federal government may withhold part of your Social Security benefit payments
- Your defaulted loans will appear on your credit record. This can make it difficult for you to obtain an …
Marijuana Use Among College Students
Following a decline in the 1980s, the use of marijuana among college students has steadily risen since the early 1990s. This increase is a concern because it is believed that marijuana may act as a gateway drug, serving as an introduction to additional types of drug use.
The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience. When someone smokes marijuana, THC rapidly passes from the lungs into the bloodstream. This carries the chemical to organs throughout the body, including the brain.
Once it enters the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on nerve cells and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. Many cannabinoid receptors are f…
Surviving a Hangover
Typically, a hangover begins within several hours after the end of a drinking bout. This occurs when a person
Cramming: Pulling an All-Nighter
While cramming and pulling an all-nighter is not preferable, it is sometimes necessary. Before you begin, understand that it would have been more effective to study earlier and more often. Remind yourself that you will have an opportunity to do that the next time. Give yourself permission to be fallible. In short, lighten up. Our brains work better when we aren’t criticizing ourselves.
Even if the end result of your cramming is a good grade, don’t expect to remember the material later. Cramming is really just a short-term memorization aid. If you will need to know the material later – math equations are an example – you’ll probably need to re-review it after the test. The more courses you have to cram for, the less effective cramming will be. Cramming is not the same as learning. If your studying relies solely on cramming, you are cheating yourself of a true education. This point is especially important if you are cramming for mid-terms. You may be unpleasantly surprised du…
Effective Note-Taking for Reading Assignments
Taking notes is very important when reading because it forces you to mentally process the material you are reading and because it gives you a record of what you have read. In many ways, mentally processing what you read is more important than having a record of what you read. If you really understand something you will probably remember it without needing to resort to your notes.
When you are reading or listening, taking notes helps you concentrate. In order to take good notes on a reading assignment, you must understand the text. Good note-taking does not mean writing down every word you read. You must actively decide what is important and how is related to what you have already written. Good notes should be accurate, clear and concise. They should show the organization of the text. This organization should show the relationship between the ideas presented.
Class readings are an area where many students fall behind. If you take accurate and effective notes on these readi…
Using Mnemonics
A mnemonic is a memory aid. Mnemonic aids rely on both repetition and association. The associations are between easy-to-remember constructs and lists of data. These aids are based on the principle that the human mind remembers insignificant data when it is attached to spatial, personal, or otherwise meaningful information more than when it occurs in meaningless sequences.
The word mnemonic is derived from the ancient Greek word mnemonikos (“of memory”) It is related to Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory in Greek mythology. The first known reference to mnemonics is the method of loci described in Cicero
Using Mind Mapping Strategies
A mind map is a diagram used to represent ideas, words, or tasks linked to and arranged radially around a central key word or idea. Mind mapping has many applications, including the following:
- Note-taking and reporting
- Brainstorming, improving creativity, and capturing ideas.
- Clarify thoughts, Summarizing, to Gain an overview.
- Presentation
- Planning
- Analyze and solve complex problems.
- Team building.
Mind mapping is an image-centered diagram that represents semantic or other connections between portions of information. Presenting these connections in a radial, non-linear graphical manner encourages a brainstorming approach to any given organizational task. This eliminates the hurdle of establishing an intrinsically appropriate or relevant conceptual framework to work within.
Some of the earliest examples of mind maps were developed by Porphyry of Tyros, a noted thinker of the 3rd century. He graphically visualized the concept categories of Aristotle. …
Alumni Associations: Getting Involved After Graduation
An alumni association is an organization of graduates (alumni) or former students. These associations provide numerous services to current students and alumni. They provide a forum to form new friendships and business relationships with people of similar backgrounds. At the very least, you will want to use the alumni association to let others know about the direction your life has taken since graduation.
These associations often organize social events and class reunions, publish newsletters or magazines, and raise funds for the organization. Many offer ongoing professional development programs and almost all offer networking opportunities through clubs and regional chapters.
Alumni gatherings take place all over the world. You do not have to be near your alma mater to participate. There are a vast number of volunteer opportunities everywhere. Your alumni group can help you connect with people who share your interest. As you enjoy the camaraderie of the alumni from your s…
Creating an Effective To-Do List
A to-do list is one of the most common time management aids. Also known as a task list, the to-do list is a list of things to be completed. These may be singular chores or steps toward completing a big project. It is an inventory tool that aids memory.
When you complete an item on your list, you generally check it off or cross it off. This can be very gratifying. You are able to see proof of your accomplishment.
There have been technological advances for the traditional to-do list. Software programs, e-mail clients, and most PDAs include task list applications. There are also several web-based task list applications. Many of these are free. Modern task list applications may have built-in task hierarchy. Tasks are composed of subtasks. These subtasks may also contain subtasks. These applications may support multiple filtering and ordering methods and may allow for detailed notations for each task. Task list applications are often classified as personal information manage…
Improve Your Grade: Test Taking Strategies
Instructors use tests to measure how much a student has learned. Unfortunately, tests also measure the student
Study Skills for Math and Science
Learning mathematics and science often presents unique challenges when it comes to studying. The disciplines of mathematics and science communicate content using new language and many symbols, are theory oriented, and often require the mastery of prerequisite concepts as a base for acquiring new knowledge.
A College math class meets less often and covers material at about twice the pace than a high school course does. You are expected to absorb new material much more quickly. Tests are probably spaced farther apart and cover more material. Your instructor may not even check your homework. Science courses can be very challenging for new college students, especially non-science majors.
Math courses include factual information (declarative knowledge) and theorems, formulas for equations, and problem-solving steps (procedural knowledge). You can use elaborative rehearsal techniques to memorize declarative knowledge; procedural knowledge requires repetition of problem-solving…
Improve Your Memory
Memory is the generative, interactive, ongoing mental process of retaining and recalling knowledge or experiences. A student’s ability to use and manipulate his/her memory greatly influences the learning process. There are three components of memory: sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory. Sensory memory (SM) holds information for about 20-30 seconds. After this time it is lost unless it is stored in short-term memory. Short-term memory (STM) holds information temporarily. Long-term memory (LTM) involves permanent information storage.
The memory system is located in the brain and the brain stem, at the top of the spinal cord. It is commonly known that different portions of the brain perform different memory functions. The brain stem and temporal lobes are involved in registering memory. Different types of memories are located in specific parts of the brain. Because the memory system is made of brain tissue, your memory performance is directly affected by t…
The Importance of Setting Goals
12% of college students expect to change their major at some point, a full 65-85% actually do. 8% of undergrads expect to spend more than 4 years to complete their degrees, whereas 60% end up taking more time. 2% expect to fail a course; 16% actually do. Only 1% of students expect to drop out. A full 40% actually do. Students’ expectations may be far from what actually ends up happening during their college career.
Do not sit back and expect your life to work out. The responsibility for your education rests ultimately with you. In order to make things turn out the way you want them to, you need a plan.
We all have vague, idealized notions of what we want out of life. We say things like,
Using Social Networking Sites in College
The purpose of some networking sites may be purely social, allowing users to establish friendships or romantic relationships, while others may focus on establishing business connections. Like no generation before them, today’s college students are using technology to express themselves and interact with one other.
The most popular social networking web site is MySpace, which has more than 100 million accounts with a demographic that is dominated by teens and 20-somethings. It accounts for up to 5 percent of all U.S. Internet traffic. At its best, social networking can be a useful way to find like-minded people online, either to pursue some interest or goal, or just to help to establish a sense of community among people who may never meet in the real world. There are a number of services that focus on a certain niche. While none of them seem likely to overtake the behemoth that is MySpace, they have each found a niche that may appeal to like-minded people.
The US market…
Drug Convictions - How They Affect Your Financial Aid
A 40-year-old seeking a college education could – up until recently – be ineligible for federal financial aid because of a marijuana conviction more than 20 years ago. The Higher Education Act (HEA) was signed into law over three decades ago by President Lyndon Johnson. It opened the door to higher education for many students. It establishes federal financial aid programs such as Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, PLUS Loans, and Work-Study Programs. The Act has been periodically reviewed and updated by Congress.
In 1998, Congress enacted an amendment to the Higher Education Act that denies loans, grants, even work study jobs to tens of thousands of would-be students every year who have drug convictions. These restrictions were harsh because they could prevent past offenders from obtaining a college education for a joint smoked years ago. They also forced students to spend more time working to pay for school, reduce their course loads, …
How Are You Going To Spend Your Spring Break?
I know, it seems like an eternity until spring break. Spring will be here before you know it and you don
Technology Transfer - What's Happening on your College Campus?
From a business standpoint, turning university research into viable products is what it’s all about. There are numerous companies that have been spawned by technology transfer from local universities.
Technology transfer is a term used to describe the process of transferring scientific findings from one organization to another for the purpose of further development and commercialization. The process typically includes:
- Identifying new technologies
- Protecting technologies through patents and copyrights
- Forming development and commercialization strategies such as marketing and licensing to existing private sector companies or creating new start-up companies based on the technology.
Academic institutions measure success in technology transfer in numerous ways. Numerical measures include the number of patents filed, license agreements executed, and new companies formed. Later numerical measures include revenues from license fees, royalties and cash from equity …
College Entrepreneurs - Do You Have What It Takes?
Think you’re busy with classes, extracurricular activities, and partying? How about adding a business startup to the equation?
Being a young business owner seems to be the hip thing to do right now. More and more students are taking business risks while in college with the hopes of earning a big payoff. It’s no wonder that colleges are catering to this growing interest with sophisticated programs. Once taught only in the school of hard knocks, entrepreneurship is becoming a mainstream college subject. At some schools, entrepreneurial studies is a major, as fundamental to business education as accounting. More than 1,600 colleges and universities now offer programs in entrepreneurship.
The exact methods of teaching entrepreneurship vary from school to school, but most use a combination of learning methods
College Drinking Games
Heavy drinking has increased among young adults, particularly at colleges. For many college students, heavy alcohol use often occurs while playing drinking games. Between 47% and 62% of college students participate in these games. The games are considered good ice-breakers and are sometimes used to reduce social anxiety and get to know people at parties.
Drinking games typically involve a set of rules designed to ensure a large consumption of alcohol. These games commonly take place at parties and bars. The objective is usually to drink competitively for speed or to win via others becoming drunk. The games are often designed in a way that being inebriated significantly increases the fun.
There are many popular drinking games. They fall under several categories:
- Endurance games – The simplest drinking games are endurance games in which players compete to out-drink each other. Players take turns drinking and the last person standing is the usually the winner. These …
Hate Crimes on Campus
The Federal government, more than 40 states, and the District of Columbia have hate crime statutes of some kind. Generally, a hate crime is a crime of violence, property damage, or threat that is motivated in whole or in part by an offender
Technology in the College Classroom
College campuses are overflowing with students packing Blackberries, iPods, laptops, and cell phones. College students are obsessed with the latest technology
On-line Learning - Is It for You?
There has been a shift in the way colleges and universities are delivering education to students. Colleges have vast technical capabilities that weren
Learning Disabilities: Achieving Success In College
An increasing numbers of students with learning disabilities (LD) are enrolling in colleges and universities. Since 1985, the percentage of those with learning disabilities (first-time, full-time freshmen) doubled from 15% to 32%. Currently, nearly one-third of all freshmen with disabilities report having learning disabilities. Anyone with a learning disability who is considering going to college should be encouraged despite their disability.
Having a learning disability means having normal intelligence but a problem in one or more areas of learning. Learning disabilities are neurobiological disorder. People with LD have brains that learn differently because of differences in brain structure and/or function. If a person learns differently due to visual, hearing or physical handicaps, emotional disturbances, mental retardation, or environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage, it is not called a learning disability. Dyslexia is the most common LD.
Learning Disabilitie…
The Truth About College Rankings
America is obsessed with rankings. College rankings are very important to students and parents. Or rather, those who publish college rankings are constantly telling us how important college rankings are. How important are college rankings, really? The simple fact is that rankings are more important to colleges and universities than they are to students or parents.
What are college rankings? Rankings are a way of evaluating the perceived value of a college or university based on pre-defined factors. Publishers usually survey colleges, universities and students to obtain information related to a variety of factors. The most common factors evaluated include number of students enrolled, student-faculty ratios (number of students per instructor), out-of-pocket costs (the amount left over after scholarships and other financial aid are applied), financial aid availability (what percent of students receive financial aid), sports, demographics (breakdown of enrollments by sex, ethnic…
How to Avoid Plagiarism
Academic writing is filled with rules that writers, particularly beginners, aren’t aware of or don’t know how to follow. Many of these rules have to do with research and proper citation. Familiarizing yourself with these rules is critical to avoid charges of plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as the uncredited use (both intentional and unintentional) of somebody else’s words or ideas.
While some cultures may not require strict documentation of word, ideas, images, sounds, etc., American culture does. A charge of plagiarism can have severe consequences
Using Statistics to Prove Your Point
You may decide to use statistics in your research for any number of reasons. When you use and present statistics, be sure they do the following:
- come from a reliable source
- accurately describe what they are intended to describe
- minimize the opportunity for misinterpretation
- add to the evidence of your report and support your conclusions.
Statistics are often easier to locate using print sources than the Internet. This is especially true if you are trying to locate older data, general numbers (as opposed to a specific piece of information), or the same set of statistics for multiple locations. Print sources have a number of other advantages over the Internet. They are:
- Stable
- Easy to use
- Easy to cite
A problem with Internet research is that data providers tend to create information that t…
Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking
Anxiety, stress and fear are common responses to public speaking. Many people consider public speaking among their worst fears in life. For some, college is the first real test of these fears and emotions.
You will probably be required to speak publicly as part of a class assignment or social event during your college career. How you handle this opportunity is entirely up to you. You can choose to avoid classes and situations that require an oral presentation. The short term consequences of doing so will result in lower grades and diminished leadership skills. The long term consequences are increased fear and stress. Choosing to avoid public speaking feeds the anxiety. Overcoming this fear can have a tremendous affect on your career potential or social status. Face this challenge head on. Gather up the courage to break out of your comfort zone. Public speaking becomes easier the more you do it.
When confronted with public speaking, you need to first know the purpose of y…
Professor Evaluations: Your Opportunity to Rate Your Professor
At the end of the semester, you may be asked to fill out an instructor evaluation form. This gives you a chance to rate your professor. Usually you will be asked to complete a list of bubble-sheet questions. They will ask you questions like
Surviving Final Exams With Your Sanity Intact.
Final exams can be grueling. Students usually have two primary goals when it comes to finals. First, you want to do well as possible on the exam. Second, you want to get through exams with your sanity intact. Fortunately, both goals are possible with the right study techniques. Here are some study tips to successfully get through finals and stay sane:
- Ideally, you should have been reviewing your notes, assignments, and exams all semester to avoid cramming the night before the final. Of course, most college students do not follow this rule. Try to start studying for finals at least two weeks in advance. If you are behind in required class readings, you will have a lot of reading to do for finals. Try to learn the material the first time it’s taught. Sometimes, if you pay attention and actively participate in class, you can forgo some of the required reading.
- Check the finals schedule for your classes and note exam times. Note deadlines for any project or paper. Check …
How to Relax During Final Exams
The stress of finals can greatly affect your well-being. Relaxation techniques can be valuable tools in the management of stress. A relaxation technique is any method, process, procedure, or activity that helps a person to relax; to attain a state of increased calmness; or otherwise reduce levels of anxiety.
Your emotional and physical reactions to stress are partly determined by the sensitivity of your sympathetic nervous system. This system produces the fight or flight reaction in response to stress or excitement. It involves the speeding up and heightening of the pulse rate, respiration, muscle tension, glandular function, and circulation of the blood. If you have an especially stressful life (like during finals), your sympathetic nervous system may always be poised to react to a crisis, putting you in a state of constant tension. In this mode, you tend to react to small stresses the same way you would react to real emergencies. The energy that accumulates in the body to …
Dating your Professor
In some ways, sex between students and their professors is part of the mythology of academia. It turns up regularly in film and literature. The scenario typically involves a young female student seduced by her older and more knowledgeable teacher.
Historically, male professors have considered a campus full of available young women a perk of academia. They used to call it the candy store, according to the Women’s Research & Education Institute. Attitudes began to change in the 1960s and 1970s, with the rise of feminism and an increasing number of female scholars in academia. Real policy changes did not occur until the late 1980s and 1990s, when courts said schools could be held liable in sexual harassment cases. Since then, many universities have begun to address student-professor dating.
University fraternization rules are sometimes vague. It is a commonly held belief that everyone is considered an adult at the college level and should know where to draw the line. At man…
How Do You Define Success?
I was recently asked the following question: At the end of your life, how do you know if you
College Students and Oral Sex: What You Need to Know
Oral sex refers to oral (mouth and/or tongue) stimulation of the genitals. Fellatio is the Latin term for oral stimulation of the male genitals. Cunnilingus is the Latin term for oral stimulation of the female genitals. Anilingus (sometimes called “rimming”) refers to oral-anal contact.
Historically, oral sex was perceived among heterosexual couples as not only more intimate than intercourse but also to be reserved for those who were married. Kinsey
What Not to Do: Common Pet Peeves of College Professors
A big part of college life is being able to adapt. No two classes are the same, just like no two professors are the same. You may take two similar classes in the same subject area and find that are run completely differently. College professors are given much latitude in what they teach and how they teach it. Be ready to change and adapt to each individual professor.
Some professors can be inspiring while others can be awful. Even though they are all different, there are certain things most professors dislike. Most of these things are common sense or easy to avoid. There are three major categories of professor pet peeves. They should be avoided at all costs in order to further your success and prevent problems with your professors.
Disruptive Behaviors in Class
Disruptive behavior is any kind of behavior or action which interrupts the teacher or prevents you or your classmates from learning. Constant interruption is a common pet peeve for many professors. They en…